Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

Hey guys, time for another update. I got the book back from my editor, applied the changes, so the book is now in its final stage. Over the next week, it’ll go through my beta readers for them to spot those last minute typos that slipped by. After that, it’s a matter of formatting the book and uploading it! So the timeline is 2 weeks or so.

Another thing: I live in West Palm Beach and it’s very likely my area is going to be impacted by Hurricane Irma, either directly or indirectly. As such, I’ll be heading inland to stay with a friend. There will be Internet, so I’ll be able to continue working and it shouldn’t interrupt anything, but if for some reason there is an interruption, the hurricane is probably the reason.

For those of you who live in the area, or those who have been impacted by Harvey . . . please stay safe! This one coming in looks to be no joke. I’m heading out tomorrow and I hope to beat the worst of the traffic, while my fiancee will be safe in a hurricane-proof building (she works in news).

The good news is you can expect Kingdom to be out in two weeks or so. I’ve already started the next one . . . lots of action and excitement.

A couple of days ago, I made a decision that will impact my e-books for the next 90 days. I enrolled all my Wasteland Chronicles books into Kindle Unlimited…which according to the terms, means I have to delist them from all other sites. That includes iBooks, B&N, Kobo, Google, among others. For the next 90 days, Wasteland Chronicles e-books will be exclusive to Amazon. In exchange, Wasteland Chronicles will be available through Kindle Unlimited and I’ll get access to a few promotion deals, including Kindle Countdown.

The reason for this decision? As an author, it’s important to try new things. Gaining new readers is the lifeblood of my profession. If I don’t gain new readers, then I’m out of a job. I’m a little late to be trying it — most other authors have given it a go already — but it’s only because, historically, I think competition in any marketplace is a good thing. It makes me a bit uncomfortable to see Amazon gaining an ever larger share of the market, but at the same time, it’s not surprising. Of all the major e-book retailers, their platform is the only that continues to evolve and meet the needs of readers on an unprecedented level. As much as I would like to see Apple or Google try new things to remain competitive…they simply are not.

I get a significant amount of sales from my non-Amazon platforms, and it will be interesting to see the extra Kindle Unlimited downloads will be enough to make up the difference. f, after 90 Days, the results are underwhelming, then I’ll make all my other books available for download again elsewhere.

I have no idea how this will turn out. Some authors experience a lot of success with Kindle Unlimited while others make more by publishing everywhere they possibly can. In the past, the latter was always my philosophy…and it was a philosophy that usually turned out to be true.

I’ve had thousands of sales on other vendors since I’ve started publishing, so saying no to that money, even for 90 Days, on an experiment seems like a gamble. But Amazon has always sold more than all of them combined, and this is more to satisfy my own curiosity. While Amazon has evolved over the 3.5 years I’ve been writing full-time, the other platforms have remained largely the same. Being Amazon exclusive used to mean you made less than someone who published everywhere possible — these days, that’s no longer true. It’s important to take the risks, and if those risks don’t turn out well, you can always correct your course.

So anyway…that’s the reasoning behind my decision. If you are a reader on a platform other than Amazon…my Wasteland books will still be available through the Kindle app, which you can download onto your laptop or iPad.

90 Days from now, I will be writing an update on this trial period, letting you know where my thoughts lie.

First of all…I proposed to my girlfriend and thankfully, she said yes!

Next…we moved to Florida! She got a job at a news station that’s higher paid, and it’s a chance for her to do something she really loves. We’ve been here about a week and a half now, and so far we are both loving (despite the fact that our car got broken into Day 1. that part wasn’t fun).

Aside from the crazy people you see on the news (which seem to be more prolific in Florida) it’s been an adventure. I went to the beach in Jupiter on July 4th, the first time I’ve been to a beach in a while. The water was so incredibly blue, and it made me realize just how much I missed living close to the water.

Besides all the awesome seafood and beautiful weather, the fact that I get to spend time here with the woman I love feels like a dream come true.

Because of all that stuff…the progress had been slower than I would like on Kingdom, Xenoworld #5. Rest assured, however, that I am working on it and by hook or crook it shall be released late July. The only possibility where it wouldn’t is if my copy-editor has a major backlog.

Anyway…just thought I’d keep you guys apprised. I’m very grateful for all of you being so patient!

There’s been a lot of changes in the air concerning my life. My girlfriend and I are going to be moving to Florida at the end of this month. With all the hustle, packing boxes, and moving furniture, Kingdom will be getting a later release than I had originally planned.

I want to thank all of you in advance for your patience…I’ve been editing whenever I have the chance, but with everything going on and all the stresses of moving, it’s been a lot less than I would like.

About the move itself…I’m very excited about it, and I’m glad to have the chance to try something new. My girlfriend got a new job that sounds like everything she’s been working for. All that said, it will not be for a couple of weeks until I’m able to sit back down and finish the book itself and get it into an editor’s hands.

Of course, I’ll keep you guys updated as publishing day draws nearer. I want nothing more than for it to be out! And I’m sure it will be soon. It’s been far too long since my last release, and I’m currently working with artist on a cover design which will look very cool. As soon as he’s done, I can’t wait to show it off.

As the title says, I finished the first draft up today. It should be out late June or early July.

It sits at about 80,000 words but is likely to become a bit longer when I go back to edit it (which tends to happen when I edit). My goal is to get it to my main editor by mid June, late June at the absolute latest.

All downhill from here! Thanks for sticking with me. I hope the wait will be worth it.